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Best American Made Flashlights

When talking about the best flashlights, we are talking about tactical flashlights which are engineered and built to excel under harsh abuse... where one's life may depend on their light source. Tactical flashlights made in the USA are among the most reliable flashlights in the world. I prefer to buy high quality American made lights rather than waste money on cheap flashlights (with false inflated specs/lumens) that can't stand up to long term outdoor use.

Maglite ML300L

Want a big, solid, American made classic with impressive performance on a budget? If so the 3 D cell battery ML300L is your choice. It's extremely bright at 625 lumens and robust; it could double as a defensive club if that's your thing. The smaller 2 D cell version has 524 lumens while the massive 6 cell version tops out at 694 lumens. Due to the ML300L's impressive brightness, battery life, build quality, and price, it earns our Best Buy Award. Note two versions exist with slightly different grips: the ML300LX (pictured) and the slightly less expensive ML300L. Last price range observed: $39.75-50

Surefire Titan and Titan Plus

Surefire's rugged all brass Titan Plus is the brightest AAA battery flashlight you can find, and probably the only AAA flashlight worth depending on. It's tiny enough to put on your keychain but bright enough to illuminate entire rooms with a choice of 300/75/15 lumens. The lighter weight (.9 oz) aluminum Titan (without the plus), is another great light with 125/15 lumens, and a fantastic choice for ultralight backpacking. Both the Titan and Titan Plus come with a high quality rechargeable AAA battery.

Surefire G2X Series​

For an all around general purpose flashlight that's virtually indestructible, still affordable, and bright, I recommend Surefire's G2X series flashlights. They have a rugged nitrolon body with an aluminum head and a dual output tailcap clicker. The high output 320 lumens is plenty of light, and the low is a usable and battery efficient 15 lumens. The G2X runs on 2 CR123a batteries.Last price range observed: $53.65-95

SureFire P3X and P2X Fury

The P3X is an insanely bright, super reliable flashlight. It's like a pocket searchlight, able to fill every nook and cranny with light... or blind would be attackers. The dual output version with a searing 1,000 on high or 15 lumens on low is preferable so you can conserve battery life and your night vision. The slightly smaller P2X is just as rugged and also awesome; it puts out a very bright 600 or 15 lumens. A cool thing about Surefire lights like the Fury series is that aftermarket bulb assemblies are readily available to upgrade the lumens when technology eventually outdates your beloved ol' flashlight. The P3X uses 3 x CR123a batteries while the P2X uses 2.​P3XLast price range observed: $198-250

Elzetta Charlie

Elzetta produces fantastic tactical lights. The Dual Output Charlie produces a blinding 900 lumens or 30 with a simple twist of the tail cap, while the light is turned on or off by a tail cap click. An optional crenellated bezel provides a strike surface should you need it. Elzetta also makes the smaller Alpha and Bravo should you want less light in a compact package. Like most tactical lights Elzetta runs on CR123a batteries.​Last price range observed: $199-230

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